Kudos to Knightshade, Covenant, Isgrimnr, Kato, and anyone else who ventures back in here. Fitness isn't a once a year thing to only think about during New Year's resolutions, but a lifestyle.

Two full weeks back in the gym following my recovery, and already I went from squatting 115 last week to 175 this morning. Shrugs went up from 175 to 265 since last Saturday. And while last week I had the full-body shakes midway through my workout as my body tried to readjust to the strain and my CNS had to readapt, this week I was able to do the same amount of volume I was doing prior to surgery, two warm-up sets followed by 5 heavy working sets for each exercise with only a minute or two rest in between. Put in a 2-hour workout with no down time and feel great. And my weight is almost back to where it should be. I "ballooned" up to about 160 over the holidays, and hope to get back to 150 even and am already back down to 154. Plus, my eating plan and workouts have kept me from losing strength as I lean down.

It's good to be back. I can't even communicate how good it feels.

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Beauty is only skin deep. Which is why I take very good care of my skin.

I'm not running it this year, but I hope next year to be able to run the "Tough Mudders" event in Phoenix. Any takers to run it with me?

I'd have to completely change up my training, but it's definitely a consideration. There is absolutely NO way I'll be ready for this coming February, especially given my ongoing recovery, but if I were to plan and train for next year I think it is a very real possibility.

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Beauty is only skin deep. Which is why I take very good care of my skin.

I'm not running it this year, but I hope next year to be able to run the "Tough Mudders" event in Phoenix. Any takers to run it with me?

Is there a date for the Phoenix event yet? Was just talking to Pete about doing the Tough Mudder in June at Southern California.However doing an event like this with a partner would be awesome, so maybe I can go to Arizona instead for the event

I'll jump in. Maybe if I post it, and hold myself accountable, I can make it. I want to lose 10 lbs. Been hovering at 180 for a year, and I would like to get to 170. I have already cut way back on alcohol, stopped eating out almost entirely, but I seem to still be holding at 180. Think my problem is carbs, I tend to eat a lot of pasta and bread. I don't want to cut back on either really (cheap and filling), but need to learn better portion control. I need to be more active as well, never used to be an issue for me, but lately it very much has been.

I'll jump in. Maybe if I post it, and hold myself accountable, I can make it. I want to lose 10 lbs. Been hovering at 180 for a year, and I would like to get to 170. I have already cut way back on alcohol, stopped eating out almost entirely, but I seem to still be holding at 180. Think my problem is carbs, I tend to eat a lot of pasta and bread. I don't want to cut back on either really (cheap and filling), but need to learn better portion control. I need to be more active as well, never used to be an issue for me, but lately it very much has been.

You pretty much know what you need to do, so now you just have to follow through. To help with over-eating carbs, incorporate a little more protein. It'll fill you up a little more and make you less likely to double-up on plates of pasta. Also, while people often fixate on exactly what they consume, the bottom line is if you burn more calories than you take in, you lose weight. It really is that simple. My wife recently started using a free app on her phone to track her caloric intake, calorie breakdown (what her calories are comprised of), and all she eats in a day, and so far she's dropped just under 10 pounds since the beginning of January.

Finally, if you plan to be more active and want to be held more accountable, consider visiting Fitocracy. It applies RPG elements to real-life fitness, allowing you to level up by earning XP, accomplishing achievements, and completing quests, appealing to the gamer in all of us. Only instead of unlocking virtual attributes, you unlock real-life upgrades like a better physique, increased strength, and overall improved health.

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Beauty is only skin deep. Which is why I take very good care of my skin.

Thanks for the tips Pete. My issue that is I am trying to save money, so I have been trying to eat as cheap as possible, so that's part of the reason I have such a carb heavy diet. But you are right, I need to replace some of those carbs with protein.

A couple of years I used software to track calories, and that was by far the most effective way to lose weight. When entering the numbers in at the end of the day it really shows you where you are getting empty calories. It was a huge hassle though, especially with home cooking, which is why I am not going that route this time.

I tried Fitocracy about a year ago, but found the interface confusing, so stopped using it. I should probably check it out again, because it really is a great idea.

Thanks for the tips Pete. My issue that is I am trying to save money, so I have been trying to eat as cheap as possible, so that's part of the reason I have such a carb heavy diet. But you are right, I need to replace some of those carbs with protein.

Being back in college and having both a mortgage in Chandler and an apartment in Tucson I am no stranger to having to budget appropriately. I primarily surf the grocery ads each week and determine that week's meals (or at least the foundations of those meals) based upon whatever is on sale that week. For example, when I first came back to Tucson my local grocery had buy-one-get-one free pork products, so I was able to stock up on lean pork loin steaks. This past week I found chicken breasts on sale for $1.65 a pound. It takes maybe 15 minutes for me to go through the local ads, make my list, and then I can hit the store. I often save as much as $30 to $40 in a grocery visit and might only pay $60 out of pocket. Vegetables are the priciest items I have to worry about, so I make sure to pick up zucchini when it's on sale for $0.99, or bell peppers when they drop from $1.89 to $0.99. Recently they had salad bags for $0.99 a bag, and they're usually $4.99. Responsible shopping can be done, and it doesn't take that much effort as long as you make a list and follow sale ads.

Also, I'm not saying you have to cut out carbs, especially since I am a steamed rice addict (and love my beer), but you can always try whole wheat/whole grain pasta instead of regular. It might be on sale for $0.99 instead of $0.89 per box, but you'll at least have an impact on empty carbs. A new dish I came up with recently is quick, easy, cheap, tasty, and incoporates both protein and healthy carbs.

Boil whole wheat pasta to package directions. While the pasta is boiling, crisp up some panchetta (when trying to save money, plain old lunchmeat ham works). Toss the crisped ham, some grated parmesean, and pasta together, then top with two over-easy or sunny-side-up eggs. The yolks become the sauce, you get protein and vitamins from the eggs, healthy carbs in the pasta, and together it all tastes fantastic. The whole dish takes the amount of time to boil the pasta.

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A couple of years I used software to track calories, and that was by far the most effective way to lose weight. When entering the numbers in at the end of the day it really shows you where you are getting empty calories. It was a huge hassle though, especially with home cooking, which is why I am not going that route this time.

That can get tedious, so I don't fault you for not wanting to go that route again. Personally I don't track calories, protein, carbs, etc. I have learned to read my body and can tell when I've eaten too much, too little, need protein, or carbs, or more vegetables. I also don't weigh myself much as I don't care what I weigh, but how I look and how strong I am. So I gauge my progress in two ways. The mirror, and I track my lifting progress. Narcissistic? Anyone who tells you they ONLY go to the gym to feel better, not to look better, is lying. And I track every workout, always trying to move more weight.

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I tried Fitocracy about a year ago, but found the interface confusing, so stopped using it. I should probably check it out again, because it really is a great idea.

If you want any tips or have questions about the site please let me know. Once you get the hang of it, tracking workouts and earning points can be an amazing motivator. There's also an OO group, a Pain Dome (although I haven't seen SmooveB or Trent in a LONG time), and while there's a GT group that got away from me (it was before we could make groups private), we could always start a new one for the GT community.

I'd love to see you guys give it a shot. I see rickfc over there constantly and it's nice to both have the support and be able to provide it as well. They also have a new "Welcome to Fitocracy" group to aid new members in adjusting to the format. But whenever you have questions, don't hesitate to ask. The site is a useful tool and has helped SO many people achieve their fitness goals.

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Beauty is only skin deep. Which is why I take very good care of my skin.

I tried Fitocracy about a year ago, but found the interface confusing, so stopped using it. I should probably check it out again, because it really is a great idea.

If you want any tips or have questions about the site please let me know. Once you get the hang of it, tracking workouts and earning points can be an amazing motivator. There's also an OO group, a Pain Dome (although I haven't seen SmooveB or Trent in a LONG time), and while there's a GT group that got away from me (it was before we could make groups private), we could always start a new one for the GT community.

I'd love to see you guys give it a shot. I see rickfc over there constantly and it's nice to both have the support and be able to provide it as well. They also have a new "Welcome to Fitocracy" group to aid new members in adjusting to the format. But whenever you have questions, don't hesitate to ask. The site is a useful tool and has helped SO many people achieve their fitness goals.

This. The community on Fitocracy is also a great asset towards reaching your fitness goals. I have yet to find anyone not willing to give you a hand, offer advice, etc. The founders and executive team are also very hands-on and extremely approachable.

I finally hit level 33 on Fitocracy! I checked to see the last time I leveled up, since it has been a while, and it was at the end of June, literally days before neck surgery. It had taken me 38 days to get from level 31 to 32. To get to 33? 215 days. Surgery, a separated shoulder, and all of the recovery that comes along with it seems to really cock up my workout schedule.

New perk class unlocked!

Although I also learned tonight that my shoulder isn't necessarily completely healed. Played ultimate frisbee as part of the college of pharmacy team, and while I seem to be able to lift pretty well, applied strength in terms of fighting for position, going up for catches, and diving all don't feel very good. Still, it feels good to be competing again.

Time for some ibuprofen.

« Last Edit: January 31, 2013, 04:32:31 AM by PeteRock »

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Beauty is only skin deep. Which is why I take very good care of my skin.

I finally hit level 33 on Fitocracy! I checked to see the last time I leveled up, since it has been a while, and it was at the end of June, literally days before neck surgery. It had taken me 38 days to get from level 31 to 32. To get to 33? 215 days. Surgery, a separated shoulder, and all of the recovery that comes along with it seems to really cock up my workout schedule.

New perk class unlocked!

Although I also learned tonight that my shoulder isn't necessarily completely healed. Played ultimate frisbee as part of the college of pharmacy team, and while I seem to be able to lift pretty well, applied strength in terms of fighting for position, going up for catches, and diving all don't feel very good. Still, it feels good to be competing again.

This year, I'm setting monthly goals in addition to yearly tracking. On NYD, I stated that I wanted to be at 260 even by the end of January. Given that I was at 264.4 on Jan 18, it appeared to be in doubt that I would even get close. I picked back up on the calorie counting software and doubled down for the past two weeks, and I'm taking being off by three ounces as a win.

The oldest adage in strength training? Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym. Not to say that you're pining for a sixpack, but your diet is what will determine how your body composition transitions. Ultimately if you keep to the program and also do as you've done, adjusting your caloric intake breakdown, you'll continue to see progress. I'm not a big fan of drastic diet changes, at least for others, as it's easy for people to get discouraged or frustated. If you make small, manageable adjustments, and can stick with them, you will see better long-term progress.

I, on the other hand, have ridiculous discipline when it comes to training and managing my diet. Some might call it an obsession. But I never have trouble getting out of bed at 5am to head to the gym, I can easily say no to dessert, fast food, or unhealthy snacks, and when I want to make noticeable progress in a short period of time, I can do it with major diet changes and workout consistency. But I know that this approach rarely works for anyone else. Your adjustments sounds pretty reasonable to you, and that will lead to better long-term progress for you as you won't get discouraged from being shoe-horned into something you just can't get on board with.

In my case I still refuse to cut beer from my diet. Hence why my nutrition and training are that much more important to my progress. But after neck surgery, a separated shoulder, and 6 straight months of downtime, including drastic binge eating and drinking over the holidays, I had put on 12 pounds, plus lost muscle, making my body transformation look even more drastic due to both gaining fat AND losing muscle.

In about three weeks I've dropped 8 pounds, put back on some muscle, and already can see noticeable changes.

Have you been taking progress pics? For me weight doesn't matter all that much as I often hover around the same weight but based on training and diet can see noticeable changes in appearance with little to no change in weight. So for me the most honest representation of progress is comparing before, during, and after photos. Some might call it narcissistic. But I consider it to be the most honest assessment of workout progress. Pics don't lie (at least when avoiding photoshop).

I'm really happy to see some participation in the thread and hope for it to inspire people to keep at it. Living healthy isn't easy, but probably one of the most worthwhile things you can do for yourself, your family, your friends, and all who care about you. Take it from a student pharmacist. When considering medication therapy for Type II diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and hyperlipidemia, so many prescriptions could be abandoned simply with healthier living practices. And I would rather see someone NOT need my prescription services and instead utilize my diet, fitness, and healthier living expertise to improve and prolong their lives (yes, we are trained in all of this, I'm not just speaking about my personal experience).

It cannot be said enough. Healthier living is a lifestyle, not a once-a-year temporary thing to rehash every New Years.

Real-life example? My family has a history of hypertension throughout every branch of our lineage. I have been diagnosed with borderline hypertension and have been told that long-term medication is an inevitability. At only 36 years of age, 14% body fat, a 4-day per week high-volume strength training program, low-sodium diet, etc, I typically have a BP reading around 146/96, when 115/75 would be FAR more indicative of my lifestyle.

Recently? I've cut even MORE sodium from my diet, drastically limited my caffeine intake, returned to the gym following recovery, upped my protein intake, decreased my empty carbohydrate intake, and incorporated more fruits, green vegetables, and even more water into my diet, and my BP has gone from 146/96 to averaging around 128/82. Guess who's NOT going on long-term medication just yet.

Sorry for the rant. Today's BP testing provided some fantastic news. I have to monitor it daily, so seeing this downward trend and feeling like I have even better control over my health just feels fantastic.

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Beauty is only skin deep. Which is why I take very good care of my skin.

Down to 177, lowest I have been in a decade. Fitocracy is helping to motivate me for now, even if my work outs are light (but I am working muscles I haven't used for years). It does have an awkward interface though and seems a bit buggy.

Haven't been very successful on a diet change though. In fact work is so boring I have been having afternoon trips to the snack bar. Still, I drink so little beer, especially compared to a year ago, I think that makes up for the snacks. I had 3 beers last night and went to sleep. That's just odd. :-)

I posted about a month ago that I was taking up running, with the ultimate goal of completing a half-marathon in October. The first step I've been pursuing along that path is to run a 5k race on March 17th. This morning, after beginning my first attempt at running exactly six weeks ago, I ran 3.3 miles in 35 minutes. My official 5k race is still three weeks away, and I've managed to hit my goal distance early. That means I get to spend the next three weeks pushing the pace a little so that I can reach my goal of finishing the 5k run in under 30 minutes. I was running with a beginner group this morning and they were slower than the 10:00-mile pace that I've been setting when I run alone, so I really don't think I'll have any trouble getting my time down.

I'm six weeks into my attempt at improving my overall health, and I can already feel the difference. My first runs were barely more than a mile, and I would finish aching and short of breath. I finished this morning's 3-mile run feeling great and ready to go farther. I still have a long way to go, but that 13.1 mile goal doesn't seem nearly as daunting any more

I actually think that while pushing pace will help some (especially if you do pickups/fartleks) with speeding up, one of the real keys to getting faster and running more comfortably is the long weekend run - try going for a slow, long run one day a week.

I totally forgot to come in here and post last weekend, but I successfully ran my first official 5k last Sunday...started running on January 12th, and managed to do 5k in 30:48 only 9 weeks later. My goal was to finish in under 30 minutes, and in retrospect I could have done it if I watched my time more closely and pushed a little harder. I felt great when I crossed the line, like I could have been faster, but I was holding myself back at the beginning over concerns of burning out on a long uphill during the third mile. I'm getting to know my capabilities better all the time and will be ready to push the pace a little more next time.

Speaking of which, I start a 10k program on Saturday and hope to reach that distance goal in time for a race the first weekend of June

Unfortunately just when I was hitting my stride I suffered a severe lower back strain a few weeks ago. It was so bad that coughing would have to come out as a sad whimper, and if a sneeze made an unexpected appearance I'd be lucky not to black out from the pain. But I continue to improve and have managed three reasonable workouts this first week back following my injury, slowly increasing weight little by little to see what my back can handle. But it looks like deadlifts will be on the side burner for a while until I'm certain my back can handle the strain again. Even the stretch from pull-ups was too much, at least this week, but we'll see where things stand in another few days.

Tonight's softball game will be the toughest test, as twisting will be the real indicator of where I stand. Here's to hoping that I don't take one swing of the bat and wake up in traction.

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Beauty is only skin deep. Which is why I take very good care of my skin.

Anyone know some good lists of simple strength training work outs? The usual searching online comes up with way too many results that are useless or trying to sell something.

I have a subscription to 24 Hour Fitness and wanted to get better use out of it than just the elliptical and treadmill. They have the usual weights and equipment.

Also, with me dieting heavily, I wanted to avoid the usual muscle loss that comes with that strict diets.

I used to use an iphone app called iFitness, which had few nice lists of workouts that I could just go through and switch between. I just don't have the memory or familiarity with this equipment to come up with my own routines right now.

Been back to the gym for about 5 months now and am rapidly approaching the best shape of my life (not bad for a 40 yr. old!) I work with a trainer 5 days a week, run on the elliptical 4 days a week (treadmills bust up my knees, so I have to take it easy). My body fat has dropped significantly, my cardio is slowly/steadily improving to a point where I have to do a 10 minute mile pace just to keep my heart rate up, and my strength/stamina is greatly improved. I might just look pretty darn good at the beach this year!

My proudest moment was last week on chest day where I did the following:

1) 100 rep challenge on the flat bench (goal is to do 100 bench presses; you do what you can, then however many remain to 100 is how many seconds rest you get. So the further you get, the less rest you get)2) Three sets of pushups3) Another 100 rep challenge on an inclined bench

I didn't think I would be able to complete the first challenge much less the second, but I did it and it wasn't even as hard as I thought it would be. Definitely felt proud of myself after that one.

Anyone know some good lists of simple strength training work outs? The usual searching online comes up with way too many results that are useless or trying to sell something.

I have a subscription to 24 Hour Fitness and wanted to get better use out of it than just the elliptical and treadmill. They have the usual weights and equipment.

Also, with me dieting heavily, I wanted to avoid the usual muscle loss that comes with that strict diets.

I used to use an iphone app called iFitness, which had few nice lists of workouts that I could just go through and switch between. I just don't have the memory or familiarity with this equipment to come up with my own routines right now.

Anyone know some good lists of simple strength training work outs? The usual searching online comes up with way too many results that are useless or trying to sell something.

I have a subscription to 24 Hour Fitness and wanted to get better use out of it than just the elliptical and treadmill. They have the usual weights and equipment.

Also, with me dieting heavily, I wanted to avoid the usual muscle loss that comes with that strict diets.

I used to use an iphone app called iFitness, which had few nice lists of workouts that I could just go through and switch between. I just don't have the memory or familiarity with this equipment to come up with my own routines right now.

Turtle, a good start would a program like Starting Strength or Stronglifts. They're very similar and easy to get into.

I've been continuing my 10k training over the last six weeks and broke the 5-mile barrier for my first time yesterday morning, running 5.18 in just under 53 minutes. I was actually at about a 9:30-9:45 pace for most of the run, but I finished up with a set of hill repeats that made up the last 6/10 of a mile, bringing down my average a bit. It was a perfect morning and the best feeling run I've had in weeks, despite pushing to a greater distance than I've done before.

I'll be running another 5k event in three weeks, which is actually a pretty easy distance now, and I think I'm in good shape to do my first official 10k on June 2nd. I feel like that's pretty good for a guy who had never run more than a mile before January 12th

Basically 30 seconds each exercise, 10 seconds rest between. The amount of strain/discomfort you should feel should be an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. while doing these exercises, so you really have to push yourself. The order of the exercises matter since it is planned to give each muscle group rest periods.

This uses all the latest data from research into interval training. Apparently doing these consistently at the intensity required is as good as longer workouts.

I'm making forward progress in terms of body composition but I've stalled on weight. I've stacked on serious muscle and have good tone forming. My blood pressure went down from borderline hypertensive to 117/97. My muscle endurance has bumped up dramatically but I'm still sucking wind. I'm hitting martial arts regularly on Monday / Wednesday, and heavy lifting/interval training on Tuesday / Thursday. I'm thinking I might have to take up swimming or something to try to build my cardio. (My ankles are destroyed from my military accident, so running is pretty painful) It's frustrating to be able to crack out 500 crunches but have trouble running around a small building without feeling like my lungs are on fire...

I had good success when I was working on it with a recumbent bike that had a targeted HR program. HR too low, and it would kick up the resistance. HR spike too high, and it would dial it back. And I easily saw differences over the course of the few weeks I can ever be bothered to maintain a fitness regimen.

I've lost 15 lbs in a month and a half. I swim early in the morning Mon-Friday and lift/cardio at night. Also I stopped drinking soda. Been hitting up PeteRock for some lifting tips so I don't get complacent.